John kress



(No Model.)

J. KRESS.

HOOP PAD. No. 483,691. Patented Oct. 4, 1892.

WITNESSES M BY w g M UNITED if STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN KRESS, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

H O O F PA D SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,691, dated October 4, 1892.

Application filed December 15,1891- Serial No. 415,097. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN KREss, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoof-Pads, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the hoof-pad for which Letters Patent No. 449,368, dated March 31, 1891, were granted to me, whereby said pad can be more conveniently inserted between the hoof and the shoe of the horse. The construction shown in my prior patent referred to, while adapted for the larger sizes of pads,'was not so well adapted for the smaller size, in which, owing to the decreased thickness of the rubber pad, the longitudinal pin that was secured to the pad for taking hold of the same at the middle portion when removing or inserting the pad is readily torn out by the tongs employed. For overcoming this difficulty it was found necessary in the small sizes of hoof-pads to dispense with this pin and to use an ordinary three-pronged retainer. The reduced thickness of the pad permits the ready bending of the same to a sufficient extent to permit the ready insertion and removal of the pad from between the hoof and shoe.

For this purpose the invention consists of an improved hoof-pad for horses, in which the elastic pad is provided with transverse ribs at its under side, a concavity on its upper surface, a U-shaped plate having projecting lugs provided with openings, so as to be embedded into the pad, the outer edge of the U- shaped plate being somewhat inside of the edge of the pad, so as to cause the perfect embedding of the same in the pad and the easy bending of the pad when inserting it in or removing it from the shoe, as will be fully described hereinafter, and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section on line 1 1, Fig. 2, of a horses hoof, with my improved pad applied to the same. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the shoe and pad. Fig. 3 is a top View of the pad as removed from the hoof;

and Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of the pad on line 4 at, Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a hoof-pad, which is made of soft rubber or other suitable elastic material and of such size as to fit into the space formed below the hoof at the interior of the shoe. The pad A is provided at its under side with transverse ribs a, so that a good foothold is secured by the horses feet on smooth'or slippery ground, such as asphalt pavement or streets covered with ice or snow. In the pad A is embedded a U-shaped plate B of sheet steel or other spring material, which plate is provided at its central front part and at its ends with projecting lugs Z2 b, which are made integral with the plate B. The U-shaped plate B is provided with a number of perforations d, into which the material of which the pad is composed is passed when formed in the mold, so that the steel plate B is firmly embedded in the elastic material of the pad after vulcanization. The outer edge of the U-shaped plate B is at some distance from the edge of the pad ,the material of thclatter closing over the outer edge of the plate, so as to keep it entirely embedded in the pad. The upper part of the pad A is concaved at its rear part A, the concaved portion extending forward into that part of the pad inside of the U- shaped plate B, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, so as to provide a certain space for the frog, and also reduce the thickness of the pad, so that the same can be readily bent when taken hold of by the prongs of a tongs which is used for inserting the pad between the hoof and shoe or for removing the same. The pad covers the frog of the hoof, so as to protect the same against injury and prevenss the entrance of snow and the balling of the same below the frog of the hoof.

The pads are applied to the hoofs of horses when the ground is slippery, so that the hoofs get abetter foothold on the ground by the ribbed under, surface of the pad. When the horse is returned to the stable, the pad is removed from the hoof, so as to prevent the undueheating of the frog. For removing the pad the pointed flat prong of a tongs is inserted at the inside of the pad along the cavity of the same, and the two prongs of the other member of the tongs are pressed against the outside of the pad, so that the same is bent in downward direction, so as to permit the withdrawal of the lugs from the shoe. The Ushaped plate B reinforces the pad and imparts a certain spring to the same, while the perforations of the same permit the easier bending of the pad, so that the pad can be readily inserted or removed by the tongs.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-' 1. A hoof-pad for horses, composed of an elastic pad having a concave upper rear surface and a U-shaped plate embedded in the front part of the pad at its outer edge some distance from the edge of the same, so that the rubber will inclose the plate, said plate being provided with projecting lugs at the front and *and with perforations in said plate, so that the plate is fully embedded in the elastic material of the pad, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my'name' in presence of two subscribing witnesses;

' JOHN KRESS.

Witnessesi CHARLES SCHROEDER, CHARLES D. BLES. 

